Mandated Reporting
All University of Pittsburgh faculty and staff are considered "Responsible Employees" and are mandated by federal statute to refer all reports of gender discrimination or sexual harassment/misconduct to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. Employees serving in counseling or pastoral roles are exempted from this mandate.
OLE Process
The first thing OLE will do upon receiving a report that may comprise a Title IX violation is to arrange a meeting with the student to discuss the incident in more detail. If the incident involves sexual harassment/misconduct or gender discrimination, the OLE dean is mandated to forward the report to the University Title IX office. They, in turn, are mandated to reach out to the affected individual (usually by email) to offer a range of services, including counseling/support referrals, no contact orders, or investigation. The student can accept or decline any/all of these services and under no obligation to open or respond to the email. The purpose of these federal mandates is to ensure that affected individuals are informed of their options and offered supportive services. It is important to note that the reporting individual cannot be forced to participate in an investigation or be named to the perpetrator without their consent.
In addition to forwarding the report to the Title IX office, OLE facilitates any actions that the student requests - such as a clinical site or classroom change within the student’s preferred time frame.